Goliad girls aim for team title, to compete in 6 events at state

By
MIKE FORMAN
May 6, 2014 at 12:06 a.m.Updated May 7, 2014 at 12:07 a.m.

Goliad's Kendall Coles, center, crosses the finish line to win the 2A 400-meter dash during a Region IV-2A-1A meet at Rutledge Stadium in Converse.

GOLIAD - The Goliad girls team had 31 points going into the final event of last year's UIL Class 2A state track and field meet.

But the Tigerettes had no shot at a state title because their 1,600-meter relay team didn't qualify for the meet.

Goliad hopes to be in a similar situation Friday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

The Tigerettes will have a 1,600 relay team and an opportunity to determine the meet's outcome.

"You want to have a chance at the end of the meet to go score 20 points," said Goliad coach Stacy Zamzow. "The girls have worked hard to put us in the position.

"We're not the best team, time-wise, coming in, but I feel good about our chances to compete. We'll see if the girls can control their emotions and go have a lot of fun."

The Tigerettes' idea of a good time would be coming home with their first state track and field team title since 1981.

Goliad put itself in position to make a run at a team championship by winning the Region IV-2A meet for the second consecutive season and qualifying for the state meet in six events.

The Tigerettes will compete in the long jump, 100- and 300-meter hurdles, 400-meter dash and 800- and 1,600-meter relays.

"It's everything you dream of," Zamzow said. "No. 1, you stay healthy throughout the season, and then, you peak at the end of the season. You have little things that happen throughout that prepare you for this.

"The (regional) meet we had was what everyone wanted to have, and they believe right now. They've worked really hard in the weight room, and the girls believe they're going to be successful."

Goliad has won 10 consecutive meets this season, but Ashtin Zamzow knows competing at the state meet is a totally different experience.

Zamzow participated in last year's meet and will run the two hurdle races and a leg on the 800 relay at this year's meet.

"Obviously, your nerves are going crazy, and that adrenaline just pumps you up even more," she said. "You've just got to stay focused and don't overthink anything. You can't overanalyze. You've just got to go out and run your race like you've been doing all year."

Stacy Zamzow attempted to prepare his team for the state meet by taking many of them to the Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in March.

"I try not to think about it too much," said Alexius Perry, who with Ashtin Zamzow are the only seniors on the team. "As long as I know I'm out there to get a better time and better myself. In all honesty, it doesn't matter where we finish as long as we push ourselves as hard as we need to."

Goliad must improve on its performance from the regional meet to win a state title.

But Stacy Zamzow likes the approach his team has taken.

"I honestly think coming in as the favorite is definitely more pressure to the kids," he said. "I like coming in maybe as an underdog. People don't look at you the way they should. We're probably - if we had to rank schools going in - we're probably the fourth- or fifth-ranked team going in.

"We just want to go win medals," he added. "If we go up and win medals in our events, however we finish is great for us - if that's fourth or that's first. If I can take a medal and give one to each of these kids, that's great. We can go and compete the best that we can, and we'll see where that gets us."